Pool House
The client’s brief for the Pool House was to create a high-end private spa and wellness retreat, incorporating a comprehensive range of contemporary spa facilities. The building was conceived as an addition to an established rural country estate, and needed to sit comfortably within its wider landscape context.
The design accommodates a large swimming pool alongside internal and external spa pools, integrated massage stations within the water, swan neck massage jets, a steam room, sauna, sensory massage showers, and dedicated treatment rooms. At first floor level, a fully equipped gym was introduced, while a new basement level houses a state-of-the-art cinema room, extending the wellness offer into leisure and relaxation.
The architectural concept explores the interplay between enclosure and openness, light and shadow. The pool hall is articulated as a sequence of contrasting spatial conditions: a double-height, light-filled volume at the eastern end transitions into a more intimate, enclosed atmosphere beneath the mezzanine. This layered arrangement enhances the sense of drama while allowing the overhanging structure to define and shelter the spa functions below.
Internally, a restrained material palette of white and black marble-effect porcelain, hardwood cladding, and black-framed glazing reinforces a calm, refined atmosphere. Externally, the dual-pitched roof form references the existing house and surrounding agricultural buildings, while contemporary interventions such as flat-roofed dormers and a fully glazed gable introduce a modern architectural language. The roof is finished in natural UK-sourced slate, providing durability and a strong tactile quality suited to the exposed climate.
The structural strategy is intentionally expressed within the interior. Laminated timber trusses were selected for their strength, moisture resistance, and aesthetic quality, working in combination with a cross-laminated timber roof deck. This creates a clear structural rhythm reminiscent of traditional timber agricultural construction, reinterpreted in a contemporary context.
Extensive landscape design integrates the building into its setting, forming a private spa garden and establishing strong connections to the existing grounds, lake, and golf course. The completed scheme, delivered in 2021, forms a cohesive dialogue between architecture, landscape, and wellness.
